


Amittere

by Trialia



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Book: Cryoburn, F/M, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-10
Updated: 2010-08-10
Packaged: 2017-10-11 00:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/106427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trialia/pseuds/Trialia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even this is worth it. <strong>Major spoilers for CryoBurn.</strong></p>
            </blockquote>





	Amittere

_The world before. The world after._

Somehow, the two — and the time between them — seemed to separate slowly as Cordelia stood in a drawing room of the Viceroy's palace on Sergyar, shivering over her decision and her dead husband.

She'd spoken to the servants, quietly, calmly, rationally, while inside she'd been numb, unable to hear more than his faintly Barrayaran-Russian baritone in her mind, remembering the first days they'd met.

_"No man could wish to live on like that."_

She couldn't tell them she was hearing Aral. Miles would have understood that — would understand.

_Oh, kiddo. Will you understand _this_? Will Mark?_

Her fingers caress his cold hand as she sits down beside him to wait for the stretcher, throat clogged with tears that will not fall.

She gave up a world for this man, and gained another, and now she has to let him go.

He can find a better place and someday, she will join him there. She can accept this day in exchange for her years with Aral, Miles, Mark, Gregor, her grandchildren - even Barrayar itself. It happens to everyone. And in the end —

_It's all been worth it, love. Even this._

 

_~fin_

**Author's Note:**

> \---
> 
>  
> 
> Obviously, the warnings would have been for major character death, but I felt that would spoil the story. The title roughly translates as "to let go" (my Latin is rusty). Beta-read, kindly and thoroughly, by Tel and Ed Burkhead from the Bujold mailing list. Thanks, both of you!


End file.
